Judging by the “retweets” and “favorites” it is safe to say that Arby’s tweet is a viral success.

Can you imagine what Arby’s’ budget might have been if instead the chain opted to film a commercial featuring a hat-wearing Pharrell and then aired it during a Grammy’s time slot? Compare the cost of that to the impact of the Arbys tweet.

As one commenter wrote, “If there’s anything that’s becoming more and more obvious, it’s that brands can no longer be passive. If you want to win an audience, you have to do it in real time now.”